Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

B. MQGOVERN.

THILL COUPLING.

No. 290,783. Patent-ed Dec. 25, 1888.

W/fi/wsws Ewen/i07 ,3 e rnaraz 776 0 60067726 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERNARD MOGOVERN, OF BRIDGEPORT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDWARD S. SMITH, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,783, dated December 25, 1883.

Application flled October 19, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, BERNARD MOGOVERN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and I ject to do away with the necessity of thread ing the bolt which passes through the thilleye and securing it by a nut, and to afford means for securely attaching the thill-eye to the clip exceedingly simple and ready of manipulation, and at the same time more durable than the ordinary bolt and nut; and with these ends in view my invention consists in the details of construction and the combination of elements hereinafter fully and in de tail explained, and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may more fully understand its construction and operation, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing the coupling-bolt secured in my improved manner; Fig. 2, a detail view of the locking device, and Fig. 3 a detail view of the bolt.

Similar letters indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

40 A is the bolt'which passes through the cliplugs and thill-eye. This bolt is perfectly plain, without any thread whatever, and is cut away, as seen at B, Fig. 3, to accommodate the looking device, and has at the other end an ordinarytension-nut, O, for the purpose presently explained.

D is the locking device, pivoted at its rear end to the clip-lug E, so as to be readily detached therefrom. The front portion of this device is slotted, as seen at F, Fig. 2, so as to embrace the bolt A at the point where it is cut away. Near the inner portion of this slot F the stock of this locking device is beveled or cut away downward, as seen at G, the object of this being to cause said device to draw the bolt tightly after the manner of a wedge. I have shown a tension-nut on the end of the bolt; but this is not absolutely necessary, since its function is merely to draw the bolt tight. However, .I prefer ordinarily to use this nut, since it may be readily adjusted, and insures the retention of the bolt in the coupling.

In applying my improvement, it is only necessary to put the bolt through the clip-lugs and thill-eye, attach the locking device, and

throw it down over the bolt. In the use of a threaded bolt, the greatest drawback is the stripping of the threads during the insertion, or, as is usually the case, forcing, of the bolt into position through the clip-lugs and thilleye, and also the latter themselves become worn and ragged thereby; One of the great advantages of my improvement is, that the locking device is readily detached from the clip, and in case of breakage a new one sub- 7 5 stituted therefor; or, if desired, the ordinary threaded bolt and nut may be used.

Ido not wish to be confined to the exact shape of the locking device and the peculiar Way shown of cutting away the bolt, as the latter may have a central slot, and instead of a slot the former may be constructed with a wedge-shaped lug adapted to enter within said slot, and thereby draw the bolt tight.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a thill-coupling, the thill-bolt cut away as described, in combination with a deoted t0 the lug E, and provided with slot F, In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in beveled at'its outer rear edge, substantially presence of two Witnesses. as described.

3. The locking device D, pivoted to the lug BERNARD MOGOVERN. 5 E, and provided with slot F, having bevel Gr at its outer rear edge, in combination with the \Vitnesses: bolt A; constructed and cut away as described, S. S. WVILLIAMSON, substantially as set forth. I F. XV. SMITH, Jr. 

